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When did they first hold hands?

Helloo, I wanna start off with how much I enjoyed the foxhole series! I thought it was brilliant and I absolutely adore the characters and the way you executed Neil and Andrew's relationship. So in light of that, I need to know, in egregious detail, how and when Andrew and Neil held hands for the first time. This information is crucial to my well-being and that of my friend's. Please and thank youu

Thank you so much for taking a chance on the stories! I'm really glad you liked them :) As for when Neil & Andrew held hands:

The first time they hold hands is a Saturday morning the fall of Neil's sophomore year. They're only a couple weeks into the semester and the Foxes are off to their traditional rough start on account of the tension between old & new and – more importantly – the friction between Neil and two of the freshmen. Neil is past ready for the weekend, but he gets an unwanted early start because Andrew gets up for a sparring session with Renee.

By the time Andrew gets back Neil has already moved from their room to the rooftop of Fox Tower, never mind that it's overcast and already starting to drizzle. They don't say anything for a while, content to sit side by side with their cigarettes. Neil's burns down first since he didn't wait for Andrew before lighting up, and he's feeling jagged enough that he attempts to steal Andrew's. Andrew, being Andrew, simply moves it to his far hand where Neil can't reach it.

Neil lets himself get distracted instead by the shadows on Andrew's hands, the forming bruises and the split skin along his knuckles. He takes Andrew's hand to inspect the damage, wondering at how something so strong can be so fragile—or is it the other way around?. If he turns their hands over he can see the wreckage Lola left behind on his own skin, the distorted scars that will always stand out more than he wants them to.

He thinks about the grief and strife that's brought them to this point, that's let them grow to where Neil no longer has to ask permission to put his hands on Andrew. He knows it doesn't matter how rough the week was or how frustrating the freshman are. They've been through hell and back together; these kids are nothing but a passing annoyance in the end.

It's a hand, Andrew says, not a question, but not quite mockery, when Neil's gaze lingers a little too long.

It's your hand, Neil says, and doesn't bother to explain. Instead he slips his fingers through Andrew's and digs in like he can leave his fingerprints on Andrew's pale skin.

Andrew doesn't pull away, and they don't go in until the storm breaks.

the unasked-for addendum: for a while Andrew & Neil are careful about how they touch when the situation is emotionally charged, e.g. when Cass comes into town for the trial that summer. Neil can only guess at what's going on in Andrew's head, and he knows better than to put his hands on Andrew first while everything is hitting the fan. Other couples might find lingering touches and supportive hands comforting at such a rough time, but they're still working on their balance and comfort zones, and this is not the time to create new lines between them.